The Case of the Ex
by Oneturtledove
Summary: A blast from the past... is it here to stay?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them, quit rubbing my nose in it.

Spoilers: Nah.

A/N: This popped into my head. It won't go away. Don't worry, no one is vying for Scully's affection. I promise. And please don't harp on me for the details. Just be patient, they will come, just like the people if you build it.

* * *

She'd often heard stories of a phone call changing someone's life. She never put much stock in it. After all, the call wasn't what changed the life, it was the message that was reported on the phone. But she thought all that before she got the call that changed her life.

"Scully," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"As in Dana Katherine?"

She blinked at the voice, not expecting it at all. It would be more likely for the Easter Bunny to call her at work.

"How'd you get this number?"

"Your mom still loves me."

She couldn't help the half smile that tugged at her lips. Even after everything...

"Dale."

"She does. I can't help it."

"Why are you calling?"

"I'm in town. I want to see you."

"I look the same."

"No ya don't Freckles."

"Shut up, Dale," she giggled, glancing at the door to make sure Mulder hadn't returned. He would never let her live down a giggle.

"Just dinner? We won't even go somewhere romantic, I promise. We can go to Dairy Queen."

"That's where you took me on our first date, and look what happened."  
"Maybe we'll just go through the drive thru this time."

She sighed and checked the time.

"Alright, I'll meet you at 7."

"I'll pick you up."

"How do you know where I live?"

"Because my life is that stalker song."

"I can't believe you still have Peter Pan syndrome."

"And Toys R Us."

"Some things never change."

"And therein lies security. So your place at 7?"

"I'll be there."

"Bells?"

"I put them away after Christmas, but you can imagine them."

"Bye Dana."

"Bye Dale."

She hung up the phone and chewed on her lip. She hadn't heard from Dale in over 9 years. She hadn't thought about him in at least 7, if not more. Well, maybe she had, but she hadn't dwelled on the thoughts. Dale was a part of her life, but a part that was over. She had moved on.

The grin on her face told a different story.

"Who blew sunshine up your nose?" Mulder asked as he came into the office. She gave him a look.

"Come on, Scully. Give."

"Give what?"

"Why are you grinning like you just snuck chocolate?"

"No reason, it's just... Friday."

"Meaning?"

"I get to sleep in tomorrow, that's all."

"I see."

"In fact, I think I'm going to head out a few minutes early."

"Pajama's, ice-cream and Doris Day movies?"

"Basically. I'll see you on Monday."

She grabbed her jacket off of the rack and headed out the door, her stomach becoming upset because of the lie. Sure, he had lied to her before, straight to her face when they both knew it was a lie. But she had never out and out lied to him, and it really bothered her. She took a deep breath and shook it off. She wasn't going to think about lying to Mulder when she had more on her plate.

Dale Sheridan.

* * *

* * *

She felt sick. Not disgusted sick, but nervous butterflies flapping wildly kind of sick. What was going to happen tonight? She and Dale had always had that annoying connection, the one where he could read her thoughts. They also had chemistry that probably couldn't be measured by any kind of scientific device whatsoever. People always said they were like two tornados colliding, but she was sure it was much worse than that. Tsunamis was more like it. Tsunamis and Mt. Everest erupting and an atom bomb thrown in the mix. They were volatile. That's why things had happened so fast, and ended before either one of them could catch it.

She took a deep breath as the knock on the door registered in her mind. He was here. There was no turning back. She stood from the couch and opened the door.

And it was Dale.

Just as she remembered him, with a few more subtle lines on his face. His blue eyes danced as he looked at her, his lips quirking up into a smile. He smelled the same, like leather and Old Spice. His teeth were still sparkling white and perfectly straight, and his once sandy hair had a light dusting of gray at the temples. He wore his age well.

She took one last deep breath and met his eyes, and suddenly she was back in college, seeing him across the room and feeling her heart stop. She was silly and 19 and the grin he shot her made her weak in the knees.

"Hey, Sugar."

She was a goner.

"Hi," was all she managed to get out before the smile practically split her face in two. They regarded each other for a moment before she stepped aside to let him in. The door clicked behind him and she couldn't help crushing her face into his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. He chuckled a little and returned the fierce hug.

"Miss me?" he asked.

She giggled and tipped her head up to look at him.

"Apparently you never took those humility classes I suggested."

"You suggested them and threw a book at my head. I didn't take you seriously."

She shrugged and he pulled away a little to look at her.

"You've been told you're beautiful, right?"

"Yeah, but I knew it already."

"I guess we should find a place where we can get two for one on those humility lessons."

"Might be a good idea."

"Ready to go? I made reservations."

"Dale Michael Sheridan, how many times have I told you not to waste your money on places that serve tiny portions in weird sauces?"

"Dana Katherine Scully, how many times have I told you to quit telling me what to do?"

She grinned and grabbed her purse as he held the door open for her.

"Probably gazillions, but I never really listened."

"I knew it!"

She smiled as she locked her door and followed him out of her building and to his car.

"Now how come you didn't spring for a car this nice when we were together?" she asked, eying the Lexus.

"I thought you liked driving around in the Hoopdie."

"Honey I wasn't wearing sunglasses to protect my eyes, I was wearing them to protect my identity."

"Ah, you kill me."

He held the door for her and she slid in to the passenger seat, suddenly feeling very off balance. Mulder never held the door for her. At least not anymore. She shook the thought from her head. She felt guilty enough about lying to him earlier, she wasn't going to spoil the night by comparing him to Dale.

* * *

They were escorted to a high backed round booth in the back corner of the restaurant and she slid in daintily, trying to remember the last time she had been out to eat with anyone besides Mulder. It had been long enough that it was depressing to think about.

"Wine?" Dale asked as he settled in next to her at the round table.

"No thanks."

He nodded and asked for a glass of water for each of them. The waiter smiled and handed them their menus, then left them alone.

"Baked manicotti," Dale guessed, glancing over at her. She scoffed.

"I've changed, Dale, I swear."

"You still tap your fingers on the menu."

She halted the unconscious movement and glared at him. He grinned back at her and held her gaze until she smiled.

"You never were very good at resisting me."

"You never were very good at going easy on me."

"You're tough."

"Shut up, Dale."

"Yes ma'am. What are you going to have?"

"Eggplant parmesan."

"Health nut."

"Dale, why are you here?"

"Business."

"That's not what I meant. You've probably been to DC dozens of times in the last 9 years."

"And you've probably been to New York just as much."

"But this is the first time you called. Why?"

He was quiet for a while, even through the waiter bringing their drinks and taking their orders. She watched him as he slid his finger around the rim of his glass, his eyes trained on that and nothing else.

"Dale?"

"A lot of things happened in the last few years. I was engaged. My fiancé left me last month. I realized that the only time that I was truly happy was when I was with you. I didn't come back here to desperately try and get you back. I'm smarter than that. I just wanted to see you. Check in."

"Dale, you have never checked in. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just getting old. Trying to reclaim past glory."

"I'm a past glory?"

"You know what I mean."

She smiled as his hand found hers on the table.

"I've missed you, Dana."

"I've missed you too," she said, surprised that she actually meant it.

"You have?"

"I saw you every day for six years, and then nothing. It was a hard transition."

"I know."

His fingers threaded through hers and they stared at each other, all the old feelings resurfacing. It scared her to death.

"It's alright, Dana," he said. She remembered he could read her mind, she just forgot how eerie it was. She was about to reply when the waiter returned with their food and they moved apart almost imperceptibly.

The warm food helped to restore some clarity and they ate in silence for a while.

"Hey Dana?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear about Dave and Trish?"

"What about them?"

"Quadruplets."

"Seriously?"

"That brings the tally up to 7 kids now."

"Wow. I never pegged them for more than one kid. They were always so... golfy."

"Golfy?"

"Yeah, one of those couples that... I don't know, plays a lot of golf."

"Are you joking?"

"No."

"Golfy."

"Yep, golfy."

"So tell me about work."

"Let's not talk work."

"Why not?"

"Because. It's Friday. I don't want to think about work again until Monday."

"Your mom said you don't normally have free weekends. Your partner drags you hither tither and yon."

She felt a slight flame of defense rise within her, but she quelled it.

"He's... energetic."

"You enjoy it."

"I do."

"You two get along?"

"He's my best friend."

"You love him."

"What?"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"I don't love him, Dale. I care about him. I miss him when he's not around. I'd rather be with him than anyone else, but that's just a comfort thing."

"If I hadn't called, you'd be with him tonight."

"No I wouldn't."

"You're wondering what he's doing right now."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"Dale, knock it off. He's my partner and my friend. That's all."

"You forget, I can always tell when you lie."

"I'm not lying."

"You love him."

"Alright fine, maybe I do, but I'm not in love with him."

"I never said 'in love' Sugar."

She sighed and suddenly remembered why she had erected those careful walls around herself. Once they were down, she was done for.

* * *

They walked down the hallway slowly, their hands brushing together every few steps. She was feeling so free. There had been no debates about reticulans, Bigfoot, or Area 51. She hadn't rolled her eyes once or sighed in exasperation or even put her hands on her hips. It was a nice change even though something still felt incomplete.

"Want to come in for coffee?" she asked, opening her door.

"As long as it's not Yuban."

"It's not."

"I'm in."

She smiled as he followed her inside and shut the door behind them.

"I'll just be a minute," she said, pressing the answering machine button on her way to the kitchen.

_"Hey Scully, it's me. I'm going up to Boston in the morning; my mom needs help with some paperwork. I'll be back Sunday afternoon. I'll have my phone on if you need anything. Also, just a heads up, Skinner called after you left tonight. He wants last months expense report on this desk at three on Monday. It's your turn, Scully dear. See you on Monday. Have a good weekend."_

She grinned to herself and started the coffee. Ever since they had started splitting up the paperwork duties evenly, he was much more aware of how much work she actually did around the office. It was a nice change.

"He calls you Scully?" Dale hollered from the couch.

"Yeah. He said it once, and it just kind of stuck. I call him Mulder, so I guess it's fair."

"It's like you're football players or something."

"Works for us," she said, joining him on the couch. He smiled and took a picture frame off the side table and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You know my mom and her camera."

"I think this picture needs explaining."

She smiled as she looked at it.

"Mulder has this thing about the piano. He thinks that everyone should know how to play because it exercises both sides of your brain or something. He was trying to teach me how to play. I was being stubborn."

"I know that face."

"You suffered through it a lot."

He grinned and put the picture back, then leaned against the couch. She rested back against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his arm around her. It had been a long time since she had felt like this- able to breathe.

"Dana?"

"Hmm?"

"How come you're still single?"

She snorted and turned a little to look at him.

"Dale, I don't have any time to be not single."

"You'd make time."

"I can't. I have too much invested in the work. It's not a nine to five job, Dale."

"I've gathered as much."

"Maybe someday."

"I'm surprised you don't have kids. You'd make a great mom."

The words pricked at her heart, but he didn't know he was hurting her, so she kept quiet. As well as he knew her, as close as they had been there were some things that she didn't need to tell him now.

"You've always thought that. You even asked me that one time, "Dana can we have a baby?" I thought you'd found Johnny's ganja stash."

"I forgot about that."

"I never did."

"If money hadn't been an issue, what would you have said?"

"I would have said yes."

"Really?"

"Of course. We were already married, having a baby was the next step, right?"

"We put it off too long."

"Maybe."

"Do you think a baby would have saved us?"

"It sure would have slowed us down."

"I never fell out of love with you."

"I know. We were just going in different directions. We were so young, Dale. We should have waited to get married."

"Yeah."

They were quiet for a while, his fingers tracing over her shoulder. It had been an amicable divorce. She was in the middle of her residency, he was finishing up his law degree- it had been a recipe for disaster no matter how much they loved each other. Add their youth into the mix, and the split was practically inevitable. She never wanted to divorce him, and he never wanted to divorce her, but in their inexperience and naïveté, they hadn't seen any other options. They had always meant to keep in touch, but life had a way of stepping in between them. They could have made it work, but they didn't. That was the long and short of it.

She sighed closed her eyes. It had been a long week, an even longer day, and one more moment of warm quiet would make her fall asleep.

"Dana, you want that coffee?"

"No."

"But I do."

"Then get it."

"Let me up."

"No."

He pinched her side gently and she yelped, moving away just far enough that he could get up.

"You're evil," she complained, rubbing her side.

"I like caffeine more than I like you. Where are your mugs?"

"Cupboard by the fridge, jerk."

He chuckled and came out of the kitchen with a mug for each of them. He handed one to her and she grimaced.

"What?"

"You put honey in it."

"You always have honey in your coffee."

"Not anymore. Only cream. Honey freaks me out."

"Sure."

She stood up and went into the kitchen to fix her drink. Dale just rolled his eyes at her as she sat down again, tucking her legs up underneath her.

"So what have we not talked about yet?" she asked, taking a sip of the coffee. There was still honey residue in the cup, but she ignored it.

"Um... I don't know."

"Hmm. Three hours and we've exhausted all avenues of conversation. We're sad."

"Can I ask you a personal question then?"

"I suppose."

"Your mom mentioned that you were sick last year. In the hospital."

"How long were you two on the phone?"

"A while. How sick were you, Dana?"

She sighed and settled her mug on the side table.

"I called Father McCue."

"Wow."

They were quiet for a while, and he finally looked over at her.

"You could have called me."

"Dale..."

"I know. But you could have Dana. I would have been there in a second."

"I know. But there was nothing you could have done. And I'm okay now. I promise."

"But what if you would have.... I mean, we never would have.... we just..."

"No closure. I know."

"Don't let that happen to us."

"I won't. Next time I almost die, I'll call you."

"Dana-"

"I'm not trying to make light of it, Dale. It was a big deal, I know. But it's over."

"Your mom says the hospital is about the only place she sees you anymore."

"Mulder and I do get into our share of scrapes."

"Maybe you need to slow down."

"What are you, Bill?"

"No. Keep doing your job. Don't quit that. Just please, be more careful."

"No one has ever said that before. It's always just "Dana, take a desk job" or "Just ditch your sorry excuse for a partner, you don't need him." No one ever cared enough to see what I want."

"Dana, I know you. You're not going to quit. You're too loyal."

"This, coming from the man I divorced."

"All unholy matrimony aside, I would never ask you to leave a job that you love."

"I know."

He smiled and tugged her over to his side of the couch, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Just try and stay safe. That's all I want."

"I'll try."

"I should probably go. It's getting late and I have some work today before my meeting tomorrow."

"They're making you work on a Saturday?"

"It's a big case, Sugar."

"Smart to put you on it when I'm sitting here as a distraction?"

"I have a two track mind."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended."

He leaned down and kissed the crown of her head.

"I'll call you tomorrow. Dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds good."

They walked to the door where she hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

Their eyes met and her heart fluttered a little. Was he thinking what she was thinking? Apparently so.

His lips danced close to hers for a moment before capturing them. Her eyes slid closed and she let herself relax into it, following him when he started to pull away. She had missed this man, and she had missed being kissed like this, but as much as she was enjoying it, something was missing. She ignored that feeling and deepened the kiss, running a hand through his short hair. He gently pulled away after a moment, catching his breath.

"Dana."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I'm not complaining."

"What do we do?"

"I leave and we think about it tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow. At Tara."

"Goodnight, Dana."

"Night. I love you."

"Love you too. Go get some sleep."

She shut the door behind him and sunk down on the couch. She hadn't been good and kissed in years. It was nice. It made her happy. But the second the back of her mind flashed Mulder's face in front of her, she started to feel guilty.

But there was nothing between them. They were best friends, and that was all. If she was happy with Dale, then he should be happy for her. It should be that simple.

So why did she feel a dark cloud looming over her now?

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I love that you guys don't hate Dale. I really like him. I wish he was real. But alas...

* * *

This was her first free weekend in months, and instead of running errands and doing chores, Scully was sitting in the middle of her bed, looking at her wedding pictures. It really was an 80's wedding. Powder blue bridesmaids dresses, baby's breath bouquets, and a groomsman with a mullet. But no matter how ridiculous they looked, they were happy.

She was a different person now. Things that she loved and believed back then had fallen to the wayside. Essentially she was the same, but she had seen too much to pretend that things could fall back into place, the way they had been. Even if Dale hadn't changed, it wouldn't work. She would always love him, but not with the depth that she loved Mulder. Not with the complexities and frustrations and intimacy and the rewards of working so hard at it. It had been so easy with Dale, and at the time, she thought she was lucky. But having an easy relationship only made the end easy too. Her relationship with Mulder had strength and stamina and could outlast anything life threw at them. And that was just a friendship.

Her cell phone rang and she picked it up with a smile.

"Scully."

"Hey Scully, it's me."

"Hey Mulder. What's up?"

"What if other life forms don't _need_ oxygen?"

She chuckled and rested against her pillows.

"Mulder, that conversation was like a week ago."

"I know. But the question is still relevant. How can we say that there isn't life on another planet? It seems that the only life we would be looking for is our own."

"I guess it comes down to what life means then."

"Intelligent life no less," he added. She could feel his smile over the phone.

"I really hope they're not using the US government as models for intelligent life then."

"I know. It might lead them to pea gravel."

"Yes, there is intelligent life out there. We found it in landscaping materials!"

"There would be massive lines at Home Depot."

"It would become a museum of intellect."

"The reality of that frightens me."

She grinned and moved the phone to her other ear.

"How's your mom?"

"She's good. She's trying to sell dad's old house, but there's some problems with the insurance company. We'll get it figured out."

"What about the house on Quonochontaug?"

"She wants to rent it out to people looking for a beach house. I told her it was more trouble than she needed with the upkeep and rent checks, but she's pretty determined to keep it."

"You said that was the one place that you were always together as a family. It's where she was happy. I wouldn't want to get rid of it either."

"I guess that's true. I just don't want her to run herself into the ground trying to be a landlord. Landlady. Whatever."

"You didn't say that in front of her just now, did you?"

"No, I'm at the store. Mom needs a few things done around the house."

"You're going to be a handy man, Mulder? I hope she has 911 on speed dial."

"Shut up, Scully."

She chuckled and stood up from the bed, realizing how late in the day it was. She hadn't even eaten lunch yet.

"Enough about me, what are you doing today?"

She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Bein' lazy."

"You are not."

"How do you know?"

"The world didn't come to a screeching halt."

"Very funny."

"Seriously."

"I'm going to do some laundry here in a bit. I need to run to the store. And then I don't know for sure. I am the most exciting person you will ever meet."

"Good."

It wasn't a complete lie; she really wasn't sure what Dale had planned for the night, at least not down to the last detail.

But even a partial lie was a lie. A great big gnawing lie. One that would keep her awake tonight.

"Mulder?"

"Scully?"

They both chuckled.

"You go first," she said, her heart starting to pound a little.

"I was just going to say that I'm gonna have to let you go. I need both hands to load the car."

"Oh. Okay."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine. I just... when you get back, can we talk?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just have something to tell you."

"Scully you're making me nervous."

"It's nothing to be nervous about. I promise. I'm not sick or quitting. It's okay."

"Alright, I won't worry then."

"Good. I'll talk to you later. Be careful Tool Man Taylor."

"Very funny. Later, Scully."

"Bye."

She clicked the phone off and set it on the counter with a sigh. This was worse than the time she had scraped up her mom's car and lied about it. She had been up for hours last night trying to decide what she would want if she was in Mulder's position. It had been a long internal debate, and she finally decided that no matter how it would make her feel, she would want the truth. But she realized that sometimes hearing the truth wasn't as hard as telling it. To even say the words "Mulder, I used to be married," would take major courage. Proving to him that he had nothing to worry about... that would take major luck.

She made herself a sandwich and went into the living room. She turned the TV on and flipped through the channels, settling on an old movie. Propping her feet up on the coffee table, she allowed herself to get lost in the story. She was so caught up that she didn't hear the phone until the second ring.

"Scully."

"So you answer your phone like that even off duty?"

"Of course I do. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Make fun of you I suppose. Still want to grab some dinner?"

"Sure. Can we make it a late one?"

"Yeah. Would eight be okay?"

"Sure."

"Are you alright, Dana?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay. I'll see you at eight."

The phone clicked off and she sighed. Mulder never would have let her hang up if she said she was fine. He knew her better than that. He would have hounded her until she got frustrated with him, and even then he probably wouldn't back off.

Mulder and Dale were different people. Very, very different.

* * *

The dinner had been relaxing. There hadn't been any talk of the kiss from the night before, nor did they speak about their divorce. Conversation stayed on the surface and revolved around people they had known. Sometimes it was nice to get through to dessert without a battle of intellect.

They were sitting on her couch now, and the conversation had taken a serious turn. He was asking her about kids again. At first she thought he was trying to talk her into going halfsies on a baby, but she finally realized that wasn't the case. Someone (fondly referred to as Maggie) must have tipped him off. Now here she was, trying to explain her infertility and Emily to a guy who had probably never dreamed of super-ovulation.

She was keeping her composure well, despite Dale's expression. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, he just couldn't understand it. She couldn't blame him. The whole story laid out at once was pretty ridiculous.

"So what does all this mean for you?"

"It means that I can't get pregnant."

"Are you sure? I mean haven you gotten a second opinion?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes, I did. A couple months ago. After my ova were recovered, I underwent fertility treatments. No success."

"You tried to have a baby?"

"Yeah."

"Does Mulder know?"

"I asked him to be the father."

Silence descended on the room for a split second before Dale turned her to face him.

"Why aren't you with him right now?"

"What?"

"You asked him to be the father of your child, Dana. That may not mean relationship, but it definitely conveys commitment."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. I just want you to think about it."

"Why?"

"Just think about it, okay?"

She sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch as her eyelids drooped.

"After all that, you're just going to sleep?"

"I'm tired."

"Are you going to sleep on the couch?"

"It's here. I'm here. Might as well."

"No, you're not going to be cranky and cricky in the morning."

"You don't have to deal with it."

"Your mom does. Aren't you going to mass with her?"

"How do you know these things?"

"I told you, she loves me."

"She loves Mulder more. She even likes him better than me sometimes."

"Golden Boy."

"Correct."

"Come on Sugar, I'm putting you to bed."

He picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. She smiled as he settled her on the bed and removed her shoes, then pulled the comforter around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight, Dana."

"Can you stay?"

The question shocked both of them.

"Stay?"

"Please."

"But..."

"At least until I fall asleep?"

"I guess I can do that."

"You don't have to."

"If you want me to, I will."

"Thank you."

He toed his shoes off and crawled onto the bed behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I missed this," she commented, yawning.

"I knew you would. Even when we were fighting, you had to be right next to me when you slept."

"I'm weird. I don't know what else to say."

He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Go to sleep, Dana."

"Goodnight."

* * *

She spent Sunday with her mom, trying not to think about Mulder and Dale. It was just all too weird. She and Mulder were finally in a place where things seemed to be clear, and then Dale reinserted himself into her life. She wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't even sure how to feel.

She cared about Dale, even enjoyed his arms around her. But she loved Mulder. She craved Mulder. She needed Mulder. Either way, she was going to have to say something to both of them. And soon.

It was Monday morning and she was pacing around the office, waiting for Mulder to come back from a meeting with the VCU. She had to tell him about Dale. Even if nothing changed between the two of them, he had to know. It was only fair.

"Hey, Scully you won't believe some of these jokers down in VCU. They actually think Skinner goes easy on us. Why are you making that face?"

"I... I just... they really think Skinner goes easy on us?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you going to help them on the case?"

"I might. I'm not sure if they'll actually need us though."

The phone rang and she snatched it up, grateful for the distraction.

"Scully."

"We have _got_ to break you of this habit, Dana."

"Hi."

"I have a few free hours today. Want to go to lunch?"

"Um... yeah, I guess."

"You don't sound so enthusiastic."

"I've got my mind on some other stuff. What time should I meet you?"

"Is noon okay?"

"Yeah, that works."

"Diner down the street from the Hoover?"

She thought quickly. That was her place with Mulder. They always went there. How was she going to get out of this one?"

"How about that little coffee shop on the Mall? I can meet you there."

"Sounds good. See you in a while, Dana."

She hung up the phone, thanking her lucky stars that Mulder was engrossed in a case file and wasn't paying attention to her. She sat down in front of her computer and pulled up their last expense report, making corrections and stretching the truth as much as he could so it was at least believable.

It was exhausting.

It was a few minutes before noon when she finally stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to go have lunch. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Okay, see ya."

She slipped into her jacket and headed out of the building. Breathing in the spring air, she smiled a little to herself. She was glad winter was over. It was nice to have a little warmth in her bones for a change.

Dale was standing outside the coffee shop, reading the paper. He smiled when she approached and folded the paper up.

"You look a little occupied."

"Oh, it's nothing. Work stuff."

"I see."

She hugged him gently and he kissed her cheek.

"Sounds like you need a vacation."

"I tried that once. It turned out bad."

"Oh?"

"A talking doll. That's all I'm going to say."

He chuckled, then gestured over her shoulder.

"Isn't that your partner?"

She whipped around and saw Mulder coming down the street. He had his hands in his pockets, and he almost looked like he hadn't spotted them yet.

The panic that hit her was probably more intense than any panic she had ever felt before. She wanted to quickly usher Dale inside, but that would have been stupid. And it was too late anyway. Mulder had seen them.

"Um, hi, Mulder," she stuttered.

"Hey, Scully."

"Mulder, this is Dale Sheridan. Dale, this is Fox Mulder."

"It's nice to meet you," Dale said, extending his hand and flashing a genuine smile. "Dana's told me a lot about you."

Scully cringed. That line could only make things worse.

"And she's told me nothing about you."

"We were just going to have lunch. Would you like to join us?"

"No, I have some errands to run. I'll catch you back at the office, Scully."

He nodded at them and headed in the other direction.

"That wasn't good, was it?"

"He'll pout for a while, then drag me out of town on a case and everything will be back to normal."

"You sure?"

"Yep. Let's eat."

Her stomach hurt, but she forced her sandwich down anyway. Mulder was not happy, and by extension, neither was she. But now he knew, and things could only get better.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: If you hate Dale, you're a fool! Just kidding, Brittney. This is for you, lady. Also, I feel like the end of this sucks, but since my best college papers were the ones that I thought sucked, I am ignoring the feeling and posting anyway. Because sometimes... you just gotta.

* * *

Mulder didn't return to the office all day. He red buttoned her the one time she tried to call his cell, and he was letting his home phone go to the answering machine. Apparently she had woken up on the naïve side of the bed.

She spent the afternoon doing more paperwork and finally left the office at 5. She was starting to get worried about Mulder. He had run off in a snit before, but she could always reach him. But maybe her luck had run out. Maybe this vague little dance of theirs was coming to a close and they weren't going to walk off the floor together.

She stomped up the stairs to her apartment, letting off some steam that way rather than take the elevator. Mulder was being unfair. He was assuming things. He wasn't giving her the benefit of the doubt. That was exactly what she had done with Diana, but this was different. This didn't affect their work.

She turned the corner and ran right into Dale, who was standing at her apartment door.

"Dana, are you okay?"

"I'm not in the mood to talk," she said, pushing past him and opening her door.

"I just wanted to check on you," he said, following her inside. "You looked worried all through lunch. Did you talk to Mulder when you got back?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He's off pouting somewhere. You know, this is all your fault."

"What?"

"You came here and just... and I... Did you do this on purpose? Were you wanting this to happen? Did you plan it? Why would you do that to me? I didn't do anything to you! How could you?"

She tried to push him but he grabbed her wrists gently and forced her to look up at him.

"Dana, I didn't plan anything."

"Why are you here?"

"In town or here right now?"

"Right now."

"Because. I was worried about you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Then where's Mulder? Why didn't you talk to him?"

"Because he ran off, Dale! He just ditched me," she explained, starting to cry. "He always ditches me. Like I'm not good enough."

"Hey! Don't say that. If anyone is not good enough it's him. And you need to find him and fix this."

"Where am I supposed to look?"

"Where would he go?"

"He's probably home. Sulking."

"Then go over there and talk to him. Now. You're not getting any younger or less wrinkly."

She smacked his arm.

"Fine. But if this ends bad...you owe me a thousand bucks."

"Deal."

He hugged her gently then opened the door.

"Get to gettin' fool."

She gave him a half hearted smile and headed out the door.

* * *

"Mulder, it's me. I know you're in there, I saw your light on. You'd better be decent because I'm using my key."

She turned the metal in the lock and opened the door. Mulder was slouched on the couch, his tie loose around his neck. For all the trouble he had caused her today, she would have loved to tighten that tie, just for a second. But when he looked at her, the look in his eyes was enough for her to retract that thought.

"We need to talk," she managed to stutter as she sat down on the coffee table, facing him.

"About?"

"Why you saw me with another man. Why you growled and walked off and ignored me for the rest of the day."

"I didn't growl."

"You sounded like a dog."

"I did not."

"Yes Kujo, you did."

"Scully, I'm not in the mood for this. What you do is your own business. I was under one impression, but apparently-"

"Hey, just back up here a second. First of all, I was under the same impression, but you have never acted on what you started. I figured you weren't going to. Second of all, you should get your facts straight before you go running off all butt hurt when you don't need to be."

"Scully, if you want to date-"

"I'm not dating! That man you saw me with, Dale? He's my ex-husband."

The hush that fell over the room was like none she had ever experience.

"Your ex-husband? Gee, that makes me feel better."

"Mulder, shut up."

"What am I supposed to say, Scully? I had no idea you were ever married."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you that a long time ago."

"Yeah, that might have changed the situation today just slightly."

She sighed.

"Alright. Well, now you know."

"Why were you with him?"

"He's in town for a few days. We've been spending time together. We went to lunch."

"You gonna tell me what happened?"

"At lunch?"

"No. Why you divorced."

"We were young and stupid. We were only in our second year of college when we got married. Some people could do it, but not a doctor and a lawyer. It was five years and then it was over. We never hated each other, never had a huge divorce settlement or anything. It just kind of dissolved. We went our separate ways."

"Were you in love with him?"

"Yes, I was."

"Do you still love him?"

"Yes. I always will."

"Do you want to be with him?"

"Sometimes."

He was so sure her answer would be no, that the soft word made him jerk his head up in surprise.

"Really?"

"I miss being married."

"You do?"

"I know you see me as strong and independent, but living like that is exhausting. It's nice to have someone to come home to, someone to talk to until you fall asleep, someone to hit the snooze in the morning. I liked having someone there all the time. That one person that was always in my corner. I even liked the fact that it was our corner, not just mine. But as far as wanting Dale back, the answer is no. We ran our course. It's been nice to have him here, but it's not right for us to be together anymore. It wasn't right in the first place, it was just kind of convenient."

"Do you regret what happened?"

"Kind of. I wouldn't change it, but I wish neither of us had to get hurt in the process."

They fell silent and he watched her for a moment, his head spinning with this new information. Someone else had held her every night. Told her that he loved her, watched her sleep, shared the most intimate of secrets with her. _Someone else_. He was not a fan of _someone else_.

"Mulder?"

"I'm just trying to process this."

"I know. It's kind of..."

"Huge."

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"What was I supposed to do, just drop the bomb randomly one day? Mulder, I never thought he would come back, much less that he and I would run into you."

"I get that. But you still could have told me. Especially after New Years and that... when we... well, when things started changing."

"On the other hand, you could have told me about Diana. And nothing started changing, Mulder. You kissed me and then it was like we both assumed that the other assumed that something was happening maybe, but we never talked about it. There was nothing, Mulder. Not even a look. And you started it, I thought you might finish."

"You didn't indicate which way you were leaning."

"Mulder, what did you expect from me?"

"What did you expect from me?"

"You kissed me, I get to ask the questions!" she shouted, standing up from the table.

"How is this turning into a fight?"

"Because we're the most stubborn people in the world and you're jealous and I like that you're jealous and neither one of us want to admit that. There! Now do something, Mulder! Get this over with and just do it!"

He jumped off the couch and grabbed her around the waist, kissing her even as she tried to catch her breath from her yelling fit. She seemed to melt in his arms for a moment before she pushed him away.

"Mulder, that isn't what I meant!"

"Well what did you mean, Scully?"

"I meant... invent time travel so we can forget this ever happened."

He sighed and sat back down on the couch, running his hands through his hair.

"Maybe I did mean that," she whispered, sitting down next to him.

"Scully, when you came over here, what were you thinking would happen?"

"I just wanted to talk. I wanted to set things straight and get after you for ditching me all day."

"Mission accomplished."

She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Mulder, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But you and I have never really come at anything with a plan, have we?"

"No, but that method usually lands us in Skinner's office or worse."

"What kind of plan do you want then?"

"I don't know."

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Scully, if you sit here looking like that much longer I am going to have to kiss you again."

"I'm sorry, I'll stop."

He chuckled and drew her into his arms.

"Scully?"

"Yeah?"

"What would make you happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you leave tonight, what would be the one thing that would ensure that you would leave happy?"

She grinned a little and looked up at him.

"Not leaving."

"What?"

"I just want to stay right here. That's enough for now."

He nodded and tipped her chin up and kissed her.

"And the rest is history?" he asked, both meanings showing in his face.

"The rest is history."


End file.
